Conventionally, miniature and low profile connectors have been widely used for connecting a wire such as a cable to substrates such as printed circuit boards contained in electrical equipment, electronic equipment, etc. One problem concerning such connectors is that these connectors easily come off or release connected mating connectors. Therefore, a latch connector including a latch mechanism has been proposed (see, for example, Patent Document 1).
FIG. 17 is a view illustrating a conventional latch connector.
In the figure, 811 is a mating part of a housing of a latch connector connected to the tip of a cable 861. The mating part is a portion mating with a mating connector (not illustrated). The housing including the mating part 811 is made of an insulating resin material. The mating part 811 has a rectangular opening in which a multiple terminals 851 to be electrically connected to mating terminals (not illustrated) are provided. The mating part 811 is surrounded by a shell 871 that is made of a metal plate and has a rectangular tube shape.
The housing has a main body part, provided more on the back side than the mating part 811, covered with a cover member 821 made of an insulating resin material. The main body part of the housing has a back end connected with the cable 861. Multiple wires contained in the cable 861 are soldered to the multiple terminals 851.
Moreover, a pair of right and left notched parts 873 are formed on the top plate of the shell 871, with a latch member housed inside each notched part 873. The latch member is a cantilevered elastic member made of a long narrow metal plate stretching in the anteroposterior direction, with a latch claw 881 protruding upward formed on the tip thereof, that is, on the free end thereof, and the base end thereof fixed in the housing.
A latch release button 826 is provided at the center of the top plate of the cover member 821. The latch release button 826 is disposed between the tip and the base end of a pair of right and left latch members, and just above the portion adjacent to the base end.
Because the latch member has spring properties and is always flush with the top plate of the shell 871, the latch claw 881 constantly protrudes above the top plate of the shell 871. Therefore, for the case in which the latch connector and a mating connector are mated together, when the mating part 811 is inserted into the insertion opening of the mating connector (not illustrated), the latch claw 881 enters a locking hole formed on the top plate of the insertion opening of the mating connector so as to be locked. As a result, the mating part 811 of the latch connector is latched by the insertion opening of the mating connector and prevented from being separated from the insertion opening.
Moreover, for the case in which the mating between the latch connector and the mating connector is released to remove the latch connector, an operator presses down the latch release button 826 protruding above the top plate of the cover member 821 by finger. Thereupon, the latch release button 826 presses down the portion adjacent to the base end of the pair of right and left latch members, causing the latch claw 881 at the tip of the latch member to be displaced downward and come off the locking hole formed on the top plate of the insertion opening of the mating connector. As a result, the locking state between the latch claw 881 and the locking hole is released and the latch between the mating part 811 of the latch connector and the insertion opening of the mating connector is released, allowing the mating part 811 to come off the insertion opening of the mating connector.
Patent Document 1: Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2009-026667